Postmortem: Liverpool’s Gritty Stand Ends in Stalemate at Anfield | OneFootball

Liverpool 2 – 2 Fulham – The PL Postmortem

The atmosphere at Anfield was loud and enthusiastic for this return to Merseyside. Fulham arrived as a team in good overall form and Marco Silva was looking keen to take points from the Premier League leaders, following their draw with Arsenal in their previous outing.

Below is how the team lined up, with match details following.

The Starting Eleven

GK – Alisson Becker

RB – Trent Alexander Arnold

RCB – Joe Gomez

LCB – Virgil van Dijk (c)

LB – Andy Robertson

CM – Curtis Jones

ACM – Dominik Szoboszlai

CM – Ryan Gravenberch

RF – Mohamed Salah

CF – Luis Díaz

LF – Cody Gakpo

Subs

Jarell Quansah – Curtis Jones (70 mins)

Darwin Núñez – Cody Gakpo (70 mins)

Harvey Elliott – Dominik Szoboszlai (79 mins)

Diogo Jota – Trent Alexander Arnold (79 mins)

Red Card

Andy Robertson – 17 mins

Goals (Assisted by)

Liverpool 0 – 1 Fulham

Andreas Pereira (Antonee Robinson) – 11 mins

Liverpool 1 – 1 Fulham

Cody Gakpo (Mohamed Salah) – 47 mins

Liverpool 2 – 1 Fulham

Rodrigo Muniz (Antonee Robinson) – 76 mins

Liverpool 2 – 2 Fulham

Diogo Jota (Darwin Núñez) – 86 mins

Important Match Stats

Possession

Liverpool 61% – 39% Fulham

XG

Liverpool 2.14 – 1.41 Fulham

Total Shots

Liverpool 16 – 12 Fulham

Corner Kicks

Liverpool 5 – 4 Fulham

Off Sides

Liverpool 2 – 2 Fulham

Fouls

Liverpool 10 – 7 Fulham

Goalkeeper Saves

Liverpool 1 – 2 Fulham

The First Half

The opening period of the game saw the Reds attacked with energy and purpose by the visiting team, as Marco Silva’s West London outfit looked to unsettle and surprise the Premier League leaders. It took just eleven minutes for the deadlock to be broken, with the American left-back, Antonee Robinson, providing a sublime cross that allowed Andreas Pereira to score at the back post. It must be noted that a crude challenge by the eventual goal scorer (just earlier) could well have resulted in a red card for the Brazilian.

That goal had seen some poor defensive work from Andy Robertson, as his ineffective efforts culminated in the ball finding the net by way of a deflection off the Scotland international captain. Minutes later, the veteran leftback found himself in a poor position to defend a cross-field pass, leading to a terrible touch (by the Scot) and an immediate foul by the 30-year-old. The red card was immediately shown to the perpetrator and Liverpool was down to ten men.

Photo: IMAGO

As the game state adjusted, no substitutions were made to counteract the early dismissal, as Ryan Gravenberch drifted from midfield to defence to occupy positions of need. This brave endeavour showed the tactical ability of the Reds head coach, Arne Slot, as he looked to stay front-footed in his approach and not accept the dire situation without a fight. With mild opportunities arising, the half drifted through varying stages of possession and opportunities for both sides, with the hosts working hard to find control in this uncharacteristic moment.

The half ended with Liverpool behind and an uphill battle ahead.

The Second Half

At the start of the second half, the home side made no changes, as the Liverpool head coach sent out the same ten players who had ended the previous period.

Almost immediately after the restart, the scores were levelled after the Egyptian King, Mohamed Salah, drifted a perfectly weighted cross to the back post. In a spectacular moment of attacking intent, Cody Gakpo was able to score with a diving header and the game was well and truly on. The midfield trio of Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Ryan Gravenberch, were all working hard to fight the odds which had been stacked against them. In a system that saw Joe Gomez occupy a left-back position, the formation became an off-ball 4-2-3, with variable roles being undertaken by intelligent assets in red. Despite the on-ball genius of Trent Alexander Arnold, he was perhaps the least effective in maintaining his defensive discipline, as he struggled to contain attacks that initiated on his right-hand side.

With the league leaders building a head of steam, eventually, the open spaces and attacking prowess of Fulham allowed them to move a goal ahead once more. Again, it was the impressive Antonee Robinson who was on hand to deliver the assist, as his penetrating cross found the incoming Cottagers substitute, Rodrigo Muniz, in the box and able to slot home from relatively close range.

With an immediate change of personnel, Diogo Jota was introduced to form an all-out attack that overwhelmed the visiting team. Darwin Núñez was already on the pitch at that stage, with Harvey Elliott also introduced alongside the Portuguese striker, Jota. As the men in red ramped up the pressure on the team in front, it would be the under-fire Uruguay hitman, Darwin, who found his returning teammate, Jota, allowing the clinical poacher to sidestep a challenge and drive the second equaliser beyond Bernd Leno and into the Fulham net.

Several good chances would be created in a frenetic closing period, with Alisson Becker making a vital save late on. Despite the urgency of the Anfield team, the time on the clock ran out and the game ended with Liverpool dropping two more points after their recent 3-3 draw away to Newcastle.

What Are My Final Thoughts…?

This contest was marred by the horrible performance of the matchday referee, as multiple decisions went against the home side. The only positives to be taken were the character shown by the ten men and the bravery of their manager, Aren Slot. Ryan Gravenberch was sensational in his multi-functional role and the return of Diogo Jota was of course a huge lift for the disappointed crowd.

Steven Smith’s Score Prediction;

Liverpool 2 – 1 Fulham